COTTAGE PIE POTS

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 brown onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 carrot, finely grated

400g lean minced beef

1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 tablesppon organic tomato sauce

salt and freshly ground pepper

400ml salt-reduced chicken stock

sprig of rosemary, finely chopped

TOPPING

1/2 cauliflower, cut into florets

1/4 cup skim milk

1/2 tablespoon low fat greek yoghurt (01.g fat/5g sugar)

1/2 tablespoon horseradish cream (0.1g fat/5g sugar)

salt and freshly ground pepper

handful of freshly grated parmesan cheese

METHOD

Preheat oven to 180C

Heat the olive oil in a non-stick frying pan over a high heat. Lower the heat and add the onion, garlic and carrot to the pan. Fry for 4-5mins until soft and translucent.

Add the minced beef to the pan and brown it slowly, stirring frequently.

Add the worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, salt and pepper and stir through.

Stir in the stock and chopped rosemary and simmer on low heat until most of the liquid has evaporated.  Halfway through add the tomato sauce. Remove from the heat and set aside.

To make the topping, place the cauliflower florets and milk in a microwave-safe container with a lid. Microwave on full power for 7-8 mins, or until soft. Tip into a food processor and add the yoghurt, horseradish, salt and pepper and whiz to a smooth puree.

Divide the minced beef mixture between 4 x 250ml ramekins then top with caulflower puree. Sprinkle with parmesan and arrange the ramekins on an oven tray. Bake for 12-15mins, or until golden and bubbling.

Serve immediately with salad.

Enjoy!

From your friendly crew at EFM Gym in Ryde.

Courtesy of Fabulous Food, Minus the Boombah by Jane Kennedy  with slight modifications

THAI FISHCAKES with LIME & CHILLI SAUCE

INGREDIENTS

400g white fillets fillets, skin and bones removed

1-2 tablespoons red curry paste

1 egg white

1 tablespoon chopped coriander

2 teaspoons fish sauce

1 red chilli, chopped (optional)

2 spring onions, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

lime wedges, to serve

LIME & CHILLI SAUCE

4 tablespoons light soy sauce

1.5 tablespoons lime juice

2 teaspoons grated ginger

1 small red chilli, seeded and finely chopped

1 tablespoon finely chopped coriander

METHOD

Make the Lime and Chilli sauce firstly by combining all the ingredients in a bowl

Place the fish fillets, curry paste, egg white, chopped coriander, fish sauce and chilli (if using) in a food processor and process until smooth. Place in a bowl with the spring onion and beans and mix well. Form the mixture into 12 patties.

Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Cook the patties for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden. Serve with the sauce and a salad, with lime wedges to the side.

Serves 4

Enjoy!

From your friendly crew at EFM Gym in Ryde.

Courtesy of the CSIRO total wellbeing diet recipe book

TACO’S

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

350g lean beef mince

1/2 sachet taco seasoning

1/2 small red chilli, finely chopped (remove the seeds if you don’t want it too hot)

200ml water

1 cos lettuce, leaves broken apart

2 tablespoons grated cheddar cheese

1 tomato, chopped

1/2 red onion, finely chopped

METHOD

Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the beef mince and brown it slowly, stirring frequently. Stir in the taco seasoning, chilli and water and cook for 10  mins.

Use the cos lettuce leaves as shells and fill with the spiced mince mixture. Top with cheese, chopped tomato and a little onion.

Serves 2

Enjoy!

From your friendly crew at EFM Gym in Ryde.

Courtesy of Jane Kennedy -Fabulous food, minus the boombah!

TANDOORI CHICKEN

INGREDIENTS

2 lean chicken fillets

1 tablespoon tandoori paste

1 tablespoon greek yoghurt

squeeze of lemon juice

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 210c. Line an oven tray with baking paper.

Wrap the chicken fillets in glad wrap and use a rolling pin or heavy can to bash them flat. Don’t be too vigorous – you don’t want them to fall apart. Cut each fillet into around 3 pieces.

In a mixing bowl, combine the tandoori paste, yoghurt and lemon juice. Add the chicken pieces and mix with the marinade until well coated. Cover with glad wrap and refrigerate for 10-20mins for the flavours to infuse.

In the meantime make the Raita as per last week’s recipe post (Beef Vindaloo) and refrigerate until ready to serve.

When ready to cook, place the chicken on the oven tray and cook for 25-30mins, or until the chicken is cooked through.

Serve with a simple salad (see previous posts).

Serves 2

Enjoy!

From your friendly crew at EFM Gym in Ryde.

Courtesy of Jane Kennedy -Fabulous food, minus the boombah! With a couple of modifications.

Our reasoning here is you have no way of knowing exactly what ingredients you are eating and I can guarantee you the chef does not care about what all the cream, butter, flavour enhancers & unhealthy oils are doing to you.

So over the coming weeks we’re going to share with you some delicious meals to replace those bad takeaway foods.

BEEF VINDALOO

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons organic extra virgin coconut oil

1 onion, sliced

1kg stewing steak, cut into cubes

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 knob of ginger, peeled and chopped

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

500ml salt-reduced chicken stock

1 x 500g can chopped tomatoes

SPICE PASTE

1 tablespoon cumin seeds

1.5 teaspoons black mustard seeds

1 teaspoon peppercorns

1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds

1 teaspoon cardamom seeds

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

4 dried red chillies

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon brown sugar

5 tablespoons white wine vinegar

METHOD

Firstly make the spice paste by combining the cumin, mustard seeds, peppercorns, fenugreek, cardamom, cinnamon and chillies in a spice grinder and make a powder (or use a mortar and pestle). Now add the salt, sugar and vinegar and stir to a paste. Transfer to a blender.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large frying pan over a low-medium heat. Add the onion and fry until golden. Tip into the blender with the spice paste and combine to a thick paste. Set aside.

To cook the beef, heat the remaining oil in a large ovenproof saucepan or a flameproof casserole dish. Brown the beef in batches, then remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the garlic and ginger to the pan and cook for 2 minutes. add the ground coriander and turmeric and fry for a further 2 minutes. Add the spice paste and cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Stir in the stock and tomatoes return the beef to the pan. Cover with a lid and cook for 1.5hrs, or until the beef is very tender.

Serve with Cauliflower Rice as seen in previous posts and Raita (below)

Serves 4

Courtesy of Jane Kennedy -Fabulous food, minus the boombah! With a couple of modifications.

RAITA

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons greek yoghut

1/2 continental cucumber, seeded and finely chopped

few mint leaves chopped

1/4 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

METHOD

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate until ready to serve!

Enjoy!

From your friendly trainer at EFM your Gym in Ryde.

INGREDIENTS

250g punnet of cherry tomatoes

2 cloves of garlic, finely sliced

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

salt and freshly ground pepper

150g bag baby spinach leaves

120g fillets firm white fish of your choice

20g low fat fetta

2 x 60cm pieces of aluminium foil

METHOD

Preheat your oven to 200c.

Fold each of the aluminium foil pieces in half.  Place the cherry tomatoes and garlic in a mixing bowl. Add the olive oil, salt and pepper and mix well.

Open the pieces of foil out flat and divide the spinach neatly on one side of the each of them. Then place the fish on top of the spinach and season with salt and pepper. Top each piece of fish with the tomato mixture then fold the foil over and scrunch the 3 open sides together leaving a slight opening at one end.  Pour a splash of wine into each bag and scrunch tightly to seal. Lift the bags carefully onto an oven tray and cook for around 20minutes.

Remove from the oven and open the bags carefully. Arrange the fish on warmed plates and pour out the juices, spinach and tomatoes. Crumble feta over and serve with couscous or a nice light salad.

Serves 2

Enjoy!

From your friendly trainer at EFM your Gym in Ryde.

BEETROOT DIP WITH PITA CHIPS

INGREDIENTS

4 Wholemeal pita breads

Olive Oil spray

1 x 450g Tin baby beetroot, drained

200g Reduced-fat natural yoghurt

1 Clove garlic, crushed

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

1 Teaspon ground cumin

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 180c

Split the pita breads in half and cut them into pieces. Spray with olive oil and place on a baking tray in a single layer. Bake for 10 mins or until crisp.

Place the remaining ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth.

Serve the beetroot dip with the pita chips.

Serves 4

SPICY MEATBALLS WITH CHILLI TOMATO SAUCE

INGREDIENTS

400g Lean minced beef or chicken

1 Small onion, grated

1 Clove garlic, crushed

1 Teaspoon ground coriander

1 Teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 Teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 Teaspoon chilli powder (or to taste)

1 Tablespoon chopped coriander

CHILLI TOMATO SAUCE

1 X 400g Tin chopped tomatoes

1 Tablespoon brown sugar

1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar

2 Small red chillies, seeded and finely chopped

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 180c and line a baking tray with baking paper.

Place the beef or chicken, onion, garlic, ground spices, chilli powder and chopped coriander in a food processor and process until well combined. Roll tablespoons of the meat mixture into balls and place on the prepared baking tray. bake for about 20-25mins or until cooked through, turning from time to time.

Meanwhile, combine the chilli tomato sauce ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15mins or until thickened. Season to taste and spoon over meatballs using toothpicks or small breadsticks for easy eating.

Serves 4

GRILLED EGGPLANT DIP

INGREDIENTS

1 Large eggplant (aubergine)

Olive oil spray

1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 Onion, finely chopped

2 Cloves garlic, crushed

1/2 Teaspoon ground cumin

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

METHOD

Heat a chargrill or barbecue to medium-hot

Spray the eggplant with olive oil and grill, turning, for 15mins or until the skin is blackened all over, Cool slightly then peel away the blackened skin. Roasting the eggplant until the skin is black and blistered may look alarming, but this is what gives the dip it’s unique smoky flavour. Discard the skin and mash the flesh with a fork in a bowl.

Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat and cook the onion until soft. Add the garlic and cumin and cook for a minute longer. Add the onion mixture and lemon juice to the mashed eggplant and mix well. Season to taste and serve with vegetables cut into sticks or wholemeal pita bread.

Serves 4

THAI FISHCAKES WITH LIME AND CHILLI SAUCE

INGREDIENTS

400g White fish fillets, skin and bones removed

1-2 Tablespoons red curry paste

1 Egg white

1 Tablespoon chopped coriander

2 Teaspoon fish sauce

1 Red chilli, chopped (optional)

2 Spring onions, thinly sliced

50g Green beans, thinly sliced

1 Tablespoon organic virgin coconut oil

LIME CHILLI SAUCE

4 Tablespoons light soy sauce

1.5 Tablespoons lime juice

2 Teaspoons grated ginger

1 Small red chilli, seeded and finely chopped

1 Tablespoon finely chopped coriander

METHOD

To make the lime and chilli sauce, combine all the ingredients in a bowl.

Place the fish fillets, curry paste, egg white, chopped coriander, fish sauce and chilli (if using) in a food processor and process until smooth. Place in a bowl with the spring onion and beans and mix well. Form the mixture into 12 patties.

Heat the oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Cook the patties for 3-4 mins on each side until golden . Serve with lime wedges and the sauce in a small bowl or glass.

Serves 4

Enjoy the festivities!

From your friendly trainer at EFM your Gym in Ryde.

Seafood Paella – Delicious!

INGREDIENTS

1 teaspoon saffron

1 teaspoon paprika

1/4 cup boiling water

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 onion, finely chopped

3 tomatoes, roughly chopped

200g short-grain rice

1 litre chicken stock

400g flathead fillets

150g uncooked (green) prawns, peeled

200g mussels, bearded and washed

150g calamari

150g peas

1/2 cup flat-leaf (italian) parsley, roughly chopped

freshly ground black pepper

lemon wedges

METHOD

In a small non-stick frying pan, lightly toast saffron. Transfer to a cup, then crush and add paprika and boiling water. Stir to dissolve and set aside.

Heat oil in a large heavy-based frying pan over medium heat. Add garlic and onion and cook for 5 minutes, or until soft. Add tomato and cook for 3 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring to combine, for a further 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring stock to a boil in a saucepan. Add stock and saffron liquid to rice mixture, stirring well to combine.

Simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Place fish, prawns, ussels and calamari on top of rice. Cover frying pan with foil and cook for a further 10 minutes. add peas, re-cover pan, and cook for a final 5 minutes. Sprinkle paella with parsley and season with pepper.

Serve with wedges of lemon and a green salad on the side.

Serves 4

Enjoy!

From your friendly trainer at EFM your Gym in Ryde.

INGREDIENTS

4 Chicken Breast Fillets (680g)

100g (2 cups) finely shredded Chinese Cabbage

250g Carrot sticks

8 Green Shallots, ends trimmed, thinly sliced diagonally

1/4 cup loosely packed fresh Mint Leaves

1/4 Cup firmly paced fresh Coriander Leaves

1 Cup (80g) Bean Sprouts

3 Green Onions, sliced thinly

100g Crishpy Fried Noodles

Dressing

1/3 Cup (80ml) Light Soy Sauce

1 Teaspoon Sesame Oil

2 Tablespoons Dry Sherry

METHOD

Cook chicken, in batches, on heated oiled grill plate (or grill or barbecue) until browned both sides and cooked through.

Stand 5mins; slice thinly

Put dressing ingredients into a screw top jar and shake

Place chicken in large bowl with remaining ingredients and dressing in large bowl; toss gently to combine

Nutritional Information

Serves 4

Per Serving: 7.6g total fat (2.1g saturated fat); 1246kj (298cal); 9.0g carbohydrate; 43.2g prtein; 4.4g fibre